general-purpose
adjective
gen·er·al-pur·pose
ˈjen-rəl-ˈpər-pəs 
ˈje-nə-
: suitable to be used for two or more basic purposes
Examples of general-purpose in a Sentence
a general-purpose glue for routine household repairs
Recent Examples on the Web
While simulated reasoning models like o3-pro often show measurable improvements over general-purpose models on analytical tasks, research suggests these gains come from allocating more computational resources to traverse their neural networks in smaller, more directed steps.
—
ArsTechnica, 11 June 2025
Brown said the broader language in the bill that’s perturbing foreign investors is likely intended to be a safeguard against semantic workarounds for instituting digital service taxes and subsidiary top-up taxes — not to be a general-purpose punitive tool in an escalating trade war.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 11 June 2025
The allure of general-purpose AI, the kind championed by tech giants, is undeniable.
—Dr. Vinay Nair, Founder and Ceo Of Tifin, CNBC, 10 June 2025
The old, general-purpose daily, there were some people who only came for the sports, there were some who only came for the comics, or the horoscope, or whatever.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for general-purpose
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
ArsTechnica, 11 June 2025
Brown said the broader language in the bill that’s perturbing foreign investors is likely intended to be a safeguard against semantic workarounds for instituting digital service taxes and subsidiary top-up taxes — not to be a general-purpose punitive tool in an escalating trade war.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 11 June 2025
The allure of general-purpose AI, the kind championed by tech giants, is undeniable.
—Dr. Vinay Nair, Founder and Ceo Of Tifin, CNBC, 10 June 2025
The old, general-purpose daily, there were some people who only came for the sports, there were some who only came for the comics, or the horoscope, or whatever.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for general-purpose
Cite this Entry
“General-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/general-purpose. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share